Hello Everyone!

[Harley H]

My name is Harley, I'm from Australia, I'm thirty and I have recently rekindled my passion for art and storytelling.

I have dabbled in drawing off and on over the years, I'd stop because well I have ADHD which makes it hard to concentrate, and I just didn't think I had the talent for it, I had that "you have to be born with the skills to be good at it" mindset.

Now I want to use the Foundations course to jumpstart my creative journey, I just need to learn how to stay focused and motivated haha.

I'd really love to one day be able to design concept art for video games and films.

[AngelinaKizz]

Welcome! This is a great forum to be a part of. You'll learn lots here.

[Asyas_illos]

@Harley-H welcome to svs and the forums! It’s really a great community of peeps here, and I know there are several of us that share your same struggles myself included. My advice is make sure you’re passionate about the piece you’re working on and it will help keep you motivated to finish. You gotta just love what you’re working on. I know from experience that if I dont have that connection with it, I probably won’t finish it. Also try not to spend too much time away from your project I find that if that happens I lose interest and well you know the rest! Be sure to post some of your art so we can get to know you!

[lucy_gow]

Hi Harley. Welcome!

I'm from Australia too. I thought the same about needing be born with it when I was younger. It's been a revelation to practise and get better at drawing. (I've still got a long way to go but I've learned so much here.) Best wishes on your journey and in your career!

[PenAndrew]

@Harley-H Welcome Harley-Good luck and yes the foundations are a great discipline and learning curve, I am still at the second stage with drawing the figure, I encourage you to stick with it and do all the exercises to get the benefit of each course. I think some of us are born with talent but some of those still give up art! I wasn't born with much artistic talent but all my strengths come from sticking with it and working hard and never giving up.

[Harley H]

Thanks for the warm welcome and encouraging words everyone
I have a long way to go and I'm glad I can be part of a community on the same journey.

I struggle a lot with finding the motivation and focus, I know I have the passion I've just never been a good learner, I am a master procrastinator, like right now writing in the forums instead of watching the tutorials and practising haha

here is probably my favourite piece so far, I initially drew it in procreate and it was horrible so I redrew it in my sketchbook, scanned it then coloured it in photoshop

[ArtistErin]

Welcome Harley! Don't worry... we are creatives, and we have a million details swimming around constantly, which can make this journey seem sorta daunting. I was given the diagnosis ADD 20 years ago as a result of years of therapy and frustrating bouts of depression and anxiety. Well I am hardheaded and determined to master the art of focus and found that it can be a detriment if you allow negative perspective of yourself and where you currently stand OR you can see yourself as you are: Uniquely and highly perceptive: you note details and information far more intricately than other people so the work really is to honor this gift, and set up a system that works for you. That said, as a creative, my lifetime theme has been to train my brain to stay focused and try to organize and stay on task, so I made three achievable habits that help me in this every day. Of course, adapt what works for you, toss out what doesn't resonate, and see what happens! SO... here are three things for starters:

1. DRAW EVERY DAY... and, finish each piece, as much as I can. This means to not get lazy if I lose interest or if the project starts going off the rails. This sort of "pushes" me to drive toward getting better and finish projects. So for example I drew 50 things as Will Terry says to do. 25 things into it I found I was letting Instagram distract me, or texting... or even wandering thoughts. So I broke this project up into segments so I felt like I could pace it and get a sense for paid commission work, that I might encounter the same blocks. And, I also took Jake's advice and drew 50 hand positions because my hands sucked for years. So that really got me through alot of sticking points, to make even filling sketchbooks and do stuff I'm not as comfortable with as smaller goals to work toward. Doing the monthly challenges stretches my storytelling abilities OMG! As I'm working if I start losing steam I take a break and check in here on the forum or look at other work for inspiration but essentially, I pay attention to the way I'm feeling. If I am feeling good, I keep going. If I start getting judgey or frustrated I give myself permission to not be perfect right now, take a break and even leave for awhile and do something else until I could get those creative juices going again. In a nutshell I personally have found if I am wanting to improve but coming to a stuck point that's my first clue to find a way around that obstacle with digestible segments where I feel like I am accomplishing what I am intending to do.

2. Challenge myself with techniques, skills and fundamentals by doing master copies. I made a list of 20 artists whose work I admire by noting their linework, energy, color palettes etc. and am currently making a goal to create at least 3 pieces from this group for portfolio work. I am finding I naturally gravitate toward a clearer look when I listen to myself and feel like I eventually arrive to solutions when I relax and trust it happens organically through the practice. Also it is encouraging to know this is part of the process in learning how to focus, as it is a new skill that becomes a habit. And, because there is so much to do, it's like "where do I start" kind of thing. Trying to find that cool vibe that is uniquely me and I want to generally stick with so my work is consistent... Might be a lifetime effort.

3. Take time to learn the digital tools, traditional tools that I am unfamiliar with and most importantly to keep art fun so I DO want to keep doing it. If I start feeling like I "HAVE" to then it feels like drudgery and I will not keep it up then. I made a conscious decision to be nice to myself, allow for time to grow. So like in golf, it takes practice and knowing learning steps to master a golf swing is constant work. But dang it's rewarding when you break through some resistance and discover new ways of creating, solving problems, and a huge side benefit is you learn so much about yourself!! SVS has significantly helped me release tons of anxiety (used to be immobilizing) as the classes really do distill down the basics. I see it as being in "class" without the anxiety of getting a good grade in a traditional school setting. Dunno this really seemed to work for me. Also noting other artists and their unique approaches to solving design dilemmas seems to be so incredibly helpful. There are so many super talented artists in this forum and we are truly fortunate to have this support for sure.

So hope this helps. What a cool journey though!! It's one you find you travel mostly alone yet you are not alone as we are all here to help support each other, provide insight and feedback. An artist is deeply introspective and highly sensitive, and very needed in the world to convey thought and ideas into visible form.

Glad to meet you and yes post your work so we can get to know you!!

Erin

[PenAndrew]

@ArtistErin Very well said! Some great advice here for all of us.

[ArtistErin]

@PenAndrew from the heart! Glad to help always!

[Robert Henderson]

@Harley-H

Welcome Harley,

Looking forward to seeing all of your work, I hope you learn a lot here at SVS.

[Meekipink]

@Harley-H Hi, Harley - wow, we have a lot in common! ^_^

I'm also from Australia and feeling a bit late to the game. I'm 36 this year and haven't drawn seriously since high school. Last year while pregnant with my 2nd, something just snapped. I took the plunge and bought an iPad to try out digital drawing for the first time (I think I got to a point where I was fed up telling myself I couldn't do something). I would love to be a children's author/illustrator and I want to work from home ^.^

I recently signed up for an annual subscription at SVS and am slowly chugging through Jake's "How to Draw Everything", spending around 1hr a night on the assignments (basically, what little I can squeeze in before I collapse, haha).

So yeah, you're definitely not alone! I battle with myself daily telling myself I'm too late, too tired, not talented, not ready, not good enough, the list goes on and on. But, then I sit down and do what I can do until something gets done. It's not much, but it adds up over time.

You've absolutely got this!! And, even if you don't, you'll get there with persistent and continued effort (and hopefully I'll be there right alongside you) ^_^

[PenAndrew]

@Meekipink NO - It is not too late I am much older! Don't give up! Go for it! This is the best focused help I have received about art from the SVS courses, forums and people, and podcasts! All the road maps are here to become successful and the courses keep being improved and added to.

[Meekipink]

@PenAndrew I know right! I love the community here. I also love that we get challenged every month to follow a prompt (I'm the kind of person who needs deadlines and accountability to get anything done).

[PenAndrew]

@Meekipink Yes, the prompt has made me produce the first finished pieces of art in years!